Certification Criteria
B. Resource Saving Containers (Edible Oil Containers)
Japan Environment Association Eco Mark Office 1. Purpose of establishing criteria
Omitted
2. Applicable Scope
The product shall be a container for edible oil composed of an inner part made of plastic (inner bag) and an outer part made of paper (outer box).
The product is intended to increase recyclable part by saving plastic part and giving an easy-disassembly design, in place of general plastic bottles because of the content which is oil.
In this category, containers for edible oil are covered. With respect to other containers of easy-disassembly design with multiple materials, criteria shall be properly added for those which are valid to be applied.
3. Terminology Omitted
4. Certification Criteria and Certification Procedures
With respect to certification to criteria items, the Attached Certificates and related documents shall be submitted.
4-1. Environmental Common Criteria and Certification Procedures
(1) The product shall be a container for edible oil which are intended to increase recyclable part by being composed of an inner part made of plastic (inner bag) and an outer part made of paper (outer box) and given an easy-disassembly design, in place of general plastic bottles which are inevitable to dispose because of the content which is oil.
[Certification Procedures]
The conformity to the criteria shall be stated in the Attached Certificates.
(2) The product shall be a container to replace a plastic bottle, comprising an inner part of plastic film (inner bag) and an outer part made of paper (outer box).
a) The inner bag shall be made of plastic film that is a maximum of 0.15 mm thick.
b) The outer box shall be of paper containing no less than 90% waste paper pulp.
In case that waste paper pulp cannot be used, If waste paper pulp cannot be used, forest-certified paper may be substituted.
[Certification Procedures]
The Applicant shall submit:
a) For inner part, specifications of the container
b) For outer part, a certificate showing the percentage of waste paper in the pulp mixture issued by a paper manufacturer or a certificate of forest-certification.
(3) In manufacturing the applying product, related environmental laws and regulations and pollution control agreement (hereinafter referred to as the
“Environmental Laws, etc.”) must be followed with respect to air pollution, water contamination, noise, offensive odor, and emission of hazardous materials in the area where the plant performing the final manufacturing process is located.
In addition, the state of compliance with the Environmental Laws, etc. for the last five years from the date of application (whether there is any violation) must be reported. If there is any violation, it is necessary that proper remedies and preventive measures have been already taken, and the related Environmental Laws, etc. must thereafter be followed appropriately.
[Certification Procedure]
With respect to the compliance with the Environmental Laws, etc. in the area where the plant performing the final manufacturing process is located, a certificate issued by the representative of the manufacturer of the applying product or the manager of the relevant plant (entry or attachment of the list of names of the Environmental Laws, etc.) must be submitted.
In addition, it is necessary to report whether there is any violation during the last five years, including a violation subject to administrative punishment or administrative guidance, and if there is, the following documents in a and b must be submitted:
a. With respect to the fact of violation, guidance documents from administrative agencies (including order of correction and warning) and copies of written answers (including those reporting causes and results of correction) to such documents (making a series of progress clear);
b. Following materials (copies of recording documents, and so on) concerning the
management system for compliance with the Environmental Laws, etc. in 1)-5):
1) List of the Environmental Laws, etc. related to the area where the plant is located;
2) Implementation system (organizational chart with entry of roles, etc.);
3) Document stipulating retention of recording documents;
4) Recurrence prevention measures (future preventive measures);
5) State of implementation based on recurrence prevention measures (result of checking of the state of compliance, including the result of onsite inspection).
(4) Substances regulated by "Self-imposed Controls on Printing Ink (NL regulations) by the Japan Printing Ink Makers Association shall not be added with printing ink used for the product (labels, etc.) as a prescribed constituent.
[Certification Procedures]
The Applicant shall state in the Attached Certificate that the product complies with NL regulations.
(5) Adhesives to be used for the containers shall not be added materials forbidden in
“Voluntary Regulation on Adhesive for Food Packaging Materials (NL regulations)”
by the Japan Adhesive Industry Association as Prescription constituents.
[Certification Procedures]
The Applicant shall state in the Attached Certificate that the product complies with NL regulations.
(6) The product shall be disassembled without using industrial tools. The explanation of disassembling method shall be indicated on the product.
[Certification Procedures]
A document explaining a disassembling method, or photographs or specifications indicating the explanation of a disassembling method shall be submitted.
4-2. Criteria and Certification Procedures for Materials
A. Criteria and Certification Procedures for the Materials of Outer Part
(7) Materials used for outer part shall not correspond to any of those shown in Table 1.
Table 1 Processed Paper and Inks Unfit to Recycling of Paper
Category Container Material
Processed Colored paper, fancy paper, resin-impregnated paper (excluding
Paper water-soluble paper), parchment paper, tarpaulin paper, waxed paper, cellophane paper, synthetic paper, carbonic paper, carbonless paper, thermosensitive paper, pressure bonding paper, stencil paper, sublimation transfer paper, thermosensitive foaming paper and scented paper
Specialty Ink Thermosensitive ink, desensitizing ink, magnetic ink, sublimation ink, forming ink and scented ink
[Certification Procedures]
The Applicant shall state in the Attached Certificate that materials listed in Table 1 have not been used.
(8) In the event that the virgin pulp is used for material of the outer part, the timber used for material must be harvested in legally appropriate manner consistent with the forest laws of timber producing countries.
[Certification Procedure]
A certificate shall be submitted to prove that the timber whose legality has been verified* in accordance with “Guideline for Verification on Legality and Sustainability of Wood and Wood Products” of Forestry Agency has been in custody to be separated by the applicant or the paper manufacturer and is supplied to the applied products. At the same time, the applicant or the paper manufacturer who issues the above certificate shall submit any of the following certificates:
1) Certificate that the applicant or the paper manufacturer has been assessed and authenticated by the CoC (Chain of Custody) Certification System;
2) Certificate of the authorized company (that guarantees the association member’s adequate way of supplying wood and wood products verified with legality, etc.); and
3) Code of management practice which stipulates the way of custody to manage wood and wood products verified with legality (the method in the case that the timber verified with legality only is handled. The same applies to hereunder), retention of certificates for a predetermined period, etc.
In the event that Item 2) or 3) above is chosen and the certificate is submitted, the applicant, paper manufacturer or material supplier who issues the above-mentioned certificates shall publicly announce through its web site the code of management practice prescribed by the association concerned in the case of Item 2) and shall prescribe and publicly announce through its Web site the code of management practice concerning the scheme to assess and guarantee the system for separative management, document management for retention of certificates for a predetermined period, etc. in the case of Item 3).
*Confirm the certificate issued by the related company closest in commercial process, which at least verifies that wood and wood products they supply are with legality and under separative custody management.
(9) No fluorescent whitening agents shall be added to the outer part as a prescribed constituent.
[Certification Procedures]
A certificate issued by the paper manufacturer shall be submitted.
(10) No chlorine gas shall be used in the pulp bleaching process.
[Certification Procedures] A certificate from the paper manufacturer shall be submitted.
B. Criteria and Certification Procedures for the Materials of Inner Part
(11) Plastics additives such as plasticizers, color materials, stabilizers, lubricants, etc.
which are used in the inner bag shall conform to the positive list system of food utensils, containers and packaging, etc.
[Certification Procedures]
The Applicant shall submit certificates that plasticizers, color materials, stabilizers, lubricants and other plastic additives conform to the Positive List system of food utensils, containers and packaging, etc.
(12) For food containers in which recycled plastic materials are used, the measures to ensure the safety based on “Guidelines on the use of recycled plastic in food apparatus and containers and packaging” of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Shokuan, 0427 No.2, April 27 2012), shall be taken.
[Certification Procedure]
The written document shall be submitted which shows the ensuring the safety based on “Guidelines on the use of recycled plastic in food apparatus and containers and packaging” of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Shokuan, 0427 No.2, April 27 2012).
(13) The inner part shall conform to requirements described in the Standards for Foods, Food Additives, etc. (Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice No. 370, 1959).
[Certification Procedures]
The Applicant shall submit test results to certifying that the products meet the
corresponding requirements.
(14) Plastic materials used in the inner part shall not be added with plastics that contain halogen in polymeric backbone as a prescribed constituent.
[Certification Procedures]
The Applicant shall state the conformance to this item in the Attached Certificate.
4-3. Quality Criteria and Certification Procedures
(15) Quality of the container shall conform to the industrial voluntary standards or the manufacturer’s own standards.
[Certification Procedures]
With respect to the industrial voluntary standards or the manufacturer’s own standards, certificates by the Applicant shall be submitted.
5. Considerations
In manufacturing products, it is desirable to consider the following, although this is not a requirement for certification. The conformance to the individual criteria item shall be indicated in Attached Certificates.
(1) For an inner bag, recycled plastics or plant-based plastics shall be used and those percentage of mixing shall be indicated.
6. Product Classification, Indication and Others
(1) A product application shall be made by a brand name. Classification by color or size is not performed.
(2) When indicating the Eco Mark on the packaging or container, it should be indicated so as to clearly show that the product packaging or container is the Eco Mark certified products and also show that the product content has nothing to do with the Eco Mark
(3) In principle, Eco Mark shall be indicated on the body of the container and packaging, etc. The licensees of Eco Mark Utilization Contract who own the Eco Mark products shall also be allowed to use the indication and the certification number as before.
Example)
(Note for the indication)
*For indicating the logo, Eco Mark certification number (eight-digit number) or the name of the licensee using the logo shall be appeared.
* Such expression as “Eco Mark product” can be used following the 2.(2) of the Guide to Eco Mark Usage.
“Eco Mark product”, “#Eco Mark”, “www.ecomark.jp”, “Eco Mark Certificate”
* If a licensee makes an environmental claim of the Eco Mark certified products associating with the Eco Mark logo, please comply with the “Environmental Labeling Guidelines” of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan.
(https://www.env.go.jp/policy/hozen/green/ecolabel/guideline/)
* The Guide to Eco Mark Usage shall be followed for any cases not listed above.
(https://www.ecomark.jp/office/guideline/guide/)
July 2, 2007 Established (Version 1.0) December 13, 2007 Revised (Category A 4-1 (4))
August 21, 2008 Revised (Category A 4-1 (1)(2), Category B 4-1 (3)) May 1, 2009 Revised (Category B 3)
March 15, 2010 Extension of Expiration
July 1, 2010 Revised (Category A [Table 2] added, Interpretation A-1) March 1, 2011 Revised (Version 1.5)
July 13, 2012 Revised (Version 1.6)
October 1, 2013 Revised (Category C, D and E added Version 1.7) June 1, 2015 Revised (Category A-D, Version 1.8)
June 1, 2016 Addition of Category G and H (Version 1.9) September 16, 2016 Addition of Category F (Version1.10)
February 1, 2017 Revised (Category D 4-1-1(1) and 5, Category E 5, and Category H 3: Version1.11)
April 1, 2019 Revised (5.(2)(3))
November 28, 2019 Revised (Category A, 4-2.(18) added Version1.12) November 1, 2020 Revised (Version1.13), Extension of Expiration June 30,2027 Expiration
エコマーク認定容器 Eco Mark Certified
The Certification Criteria for the Product Category will be revised when necessary.